The Director, Physiotherapy Department, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Muibat Akintayo, on Wednesday, identified some of the health conditions that cause damage to the brain of a child from birth as major factors responsible for deformity in children.
She made this known in Ibadan, the state capital, at the UCH physiotherapy departmental get-together for physically challenged children in the state.
It is an annual event that was initiated over 50 years ago to make over 400 physically challenged children in the state feel the mood of the festive season.
Akintayo said, “Meningitis, jaundice and careless handling of babies during delivery are some of the common factors that have contributed to several deformities in children.”
The director, therefore, called on governments at all levels to implement policies that uplift the living standard of people with disability in Nigeria.
She said, “We have policies, we have Disability Act that was signed by our immediate past President, Muhammadu Buhari, in January 2019. But what we need now is implementation. If we can implement these policies, it will help a lot, especially by involving them in the National Health Insurance Scheme, because their care is very expensive, and some parents cannot afford it.
“It is imperative for the physically challenged to have easy access to public buildings, so the Federal Government should include them in the health insurance scheme. We are appealing again that the government should, please, enforce the implementation of that Act. The Act is very good but implementation is what we want from the government now.”
Punch
